Faith Laces

May 13 - 19, 2013 37 Weeks Pregnant Photo Credit - Faith Laces This was a week of transition. Makayla 'graduated' from preschool on Monday, which means my dependable schedule of running 5.5 miles on Mondays and Fridays and 8 miles on Wednesdays is no more. This week I struggled to define a new schedule. M onday I woke up early and ran 3.5 miles because, although this was Makayla's last day of school, they didn't have regular class; instead they had a celebratory picnic. T uesday I ran as usual, getting in 4.5 miles. I took W ednesday off as a 'rest' day, but worked for three hours in the yard digging up the brick edging around two of my flower beds. T hursday I woke up early and ran 3.5 miles again, only this time it was in the rain. Thankfully, it was a much warmer morning and the rain didn't bother me. F riday was another 'rest' day with three more hours of digging up brick edging around more flower beds. Thankfully, my back handle...

May 5 - May 12, 2013 36 Weeks Pregnant Photo Credit - Faith Laces This week's highlights include spotting a tiny baby turtle and a live snake, both of which I stopped to photograph. As I paused, pulled out my phone and snapped the picture of the snake, it hit me how drastically different my runs are now than they were nine months ago. Photo Credit - Faith Laces Back then I never would have stopped to take a picture of a tiny snake or even noticed the tiny turtle because I was moving too fast and was too focused on my time to really take in my surroundings. Now that 'fast' is just a fond memory, I see a lot more when I run. Just a few months ago, this would have bothered me, but now with the 'finish line' of my pregnancy in sight, I can appreciate the differences in my running. While I'm looking forward to running at a faster pace, I'm also going to miss running at a pregnant snail's pace. I'll miss my little running buddy kicking a...

April 29 - May 4, 2013 35 Weeks Pregnant Photo Credit - Faith Laces Path at Wilson College M onday I ran in a steady, soaking rain. I had to borrow my husband's waterproof pullover. It did a pretty good job keeping me somewhat warm and mostly dry, but it made me look fat - not pregnant, just fat. T uesday I ran in the same pullover because it looked like it might rain again and it was sort of chilly out. Well, it didn't rain and I got overly warm so I took the pullover off and tied it around my waist - or rather, I tried to tie it around my waist, until I remembered - I don't have a waist anymore! The darn thing kept slipping off and I had to tie it around my neck, which sucked because a.) it looked ridiculous and b.) it kept sliding back and choking me. W ednesday I had to run early in the morning again because my daughter had another field trip. Thankfully, it's getting light out earlier and the sky was already a light grey when I set off. F riday I trie...

April 22- April 28, 2013 34 Weeks Pregnant Photo Credit - Faith Laces Not too much to report - but I can say it was a pretty great week! The weather wasn't too hot or too cold. I'm still able to run. I even managed to do my long run on Wednesday according to schedule. Although Friday's run didn't go according to schedule. Because I was going to be chaperoning my daughter's field trip during my usual running time, I had to run early in the morning before my husband went to work, which didn't leave me as much time. It also meant I had to run in the dark. I don't mind running in the dark, but I don't prefer it. I did however, get to run under a beautiful full moon. Photo Credit - Faith Laces If I had one complaint (and what would pregnancy be without some complaining?), it would be the need for very frequent potty breaks. It's annoying! It seems like I can't go a mile before needing to stop, which is very inconvenient. I have to ad...

Photo Credit - mconnors I hate to have come all the way to the end of the alphabet and fizzle out. It's like running 25.2 miles and walking the final mile! But this is all I've got for an essential beginning with the letter ' Z ': A z ip-up jacket is essential for pregnant runners (plop, fizz - oh how lame that is!). Non-pregnant runners also benefit from a zip-up jacket, preferably waterproof. It's essential to have protection against snow, rain and wind. For me, it was much easier to zip up my jacket in the fall than it is now. I had to wear my husband's jacket today as I ran through a steady spring rain. So that's it! The end of another A-Z Challenge. For all of those who dropped by and for those who stuck with me through the end, thanks for reading!

Yoga is an essential for runners and for pregnant women, so it's no surprise, I'm listing it is an essential for pregnant runners. Photo Credit - Microsoft Clip Art First of all, let me just say that yoga is so much more than sitting, breathing and meditating. I know that some people (my sister for one) have the misconception that yoga is a waste of time, which couldn't be further from the truth. Before I got pregnant, yoga was a regular part of my cross-training program. I liked doing yoga that moved quickly from one pose to the next and got my heart rate up. My preferred video was Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown . My goal for doing yoga was to strengthen my muscles and increase my stamina. During my first trimester, it was all I could do to run on a regular basis. I didn't do any other forms of exercise because I was too sick and too tired. Early in my second trimester, I realized that it had been a mistake to neglect my cross-training after an alarming ...

X-training (Cross-training) is essential to all runners, including pregnant runners. X-training is doing another form of exercise besides running. What? There's more to life than running? I know. But it's true. Doing other forms of exercise like swimming, cycling, Zumba, Pilates or strength training use muscles that running doesn't. Supplementing running with different forms of working-out makes us stronger, more flexible and most importantly, better runners. It also helps to prevent injury from over-training, which is crucial. My plan for x-training during pregnancy was to join a gym and take water aerobics classes. That never happened. I find that going to the gym is too much of an inconvenience. I like working out at home because I can more easily fit it into my schedule. I supplement my running with yoga and workout videos. The two videos I've used during this pregnancy are Pregnancy Fitness by Lindsay Brin and What To Expect When You're Expecting: The ...